Going Down in Flames
by Kesshoukei
Summary: While the other members of Organization XIII start to turn against them, it seems like all they have left is each other. Axel x Roxas/AkuRoku, fluffy-ish.
1. I

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters! (Although it would be awesome if I did).**

[I]

There was little doubt that the spiky red-haired male wouldn't have woken at all if the furious ramming on the door hadn't disturbed him. In fact, he could barely be bothered to move after such a long day consisting of nothing but work and constant hassle from the other members. Groaning, he stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before propping himself up on his elbows. He'd fallen asleep in a barely buttoned up red shirt and jeans, his uniform coat slung lazily on a chair on the other side of the room. He'd have to remember to sort that out, or Xemnas would kill him…literally.

"What is it!? This had better be important!"

His emerald eyes narrowed as he listened for a reply, and he remained like this for a good few seconds.

_For God's sake…_

He let out an exasperated sigh before pushing himself off the bed, storming across the room and yanking the door open with such force that the hinges almost snapped off completely.

"Look! I'm not in the-"

His sentence trailed off, whipped away from him by the wind and the rain that battered the streets, and by the sight of the small blonde-haired boy in front of him.

"…Roxas?"

The blonde almost had to crane his neck to look up at the older male, shielding himself against the rain, although clearly without point as his clothes were already soaked and clinging to his skin, leaving him pale and shivering. The redhead frowned, removing his hand from the door handle. He could see his reflection in the blonde's blue eyes, eyes that reminded him of the ocean, eyes that he had lost himself in so often, yet now showed a strange pain he hadn't seen before.

"Rox…have you been crying?"

He watched his reflection ripple as new tears welled up in the blonde's eyes, the green meeting the blue in a silent stare.

"I…I'm sorry to wake you, Axel, I just didn't know who else to go to…"

Roxas' attempt to keep his voice steady failed miserably, and it cracked several times in the space of that single sentence, shortly followed up by a small sigh and another apology.

"Don't be stupid, get in here."

The blonde's eyes widened in surprise, and he froze on the spot, staring at the elder of the two.

"…Well, what are you waiting for? You'll catch your death out there!"

He felt his hand being grasped firmly but gently by the readhead, before he was quickly pulled inside and the door pushed shut behind them.

To say he felt awkward would be an understatement. His hair was plastered across his face, clothes dripping water onto the wood-panelled floor, and he was standing in front of the immaculate-as-always flame-haired-wonder (a name that Demyx had come out with after one too many, much to the worry and slight amusement of some other members). He usually felt so at ease with Axel, him being one of the only members who was actually nice to him, but then again, Axel had never seen him in this state before.

"How long have you been out there? You're soaked!"

The blonde directed his gaze to the corner as the redhead knelt in front of him.

"Here, I'll give you some of my clothes."

The blonde couldn't keep the surprise from his face as the redhead reached out, taking hold of the zipper on his coat with pale, slender fingers and slowly undoing it.

"A-Axel?"

There was a pause as the green eyes met his again.

"What…don't expect me to leave them on do you?"

Another silence before he continued, causing a red streak to form across Roxas' face, contrasting with his pale skin.

He'd never realised how warm Axel was, how he could feel the heat radiating from him, even when they weren't touching. He couldn't help but think that this would make Axel extremely bad at making snowmen, and that one thought allowed a small smile to form on his face, even if he was cold and barely clothed any more.

"Here," the sharp voice broke his train of thought ", they might be a little too big, but hey, better than nothin' right?"

"Yeah, I guess, thanks."

The blonde smiled, gladly accepting the warm, dry clothes offered to him and quickly pulling them on. Axel was right, they were miles too big, but comfy nonetheless.

"So…you want to tell me what's wrong…?"

Axel had sat on the bed again, the sheets still left messy from his previous 'nap' (which usually involved sleeping most of the day, then getting up and going out drinking, although he was mostly careful not to get too drunk for fear of saying or doing something he may regret).

"Well…it's kinda stupid now I think about it…"

"Well, what was it?"

"Nothing…"

The redhead frowned again.

"Rox, if it was nothing, you wouldn't have turned up crying at my door halfway throught the night."

There was a pause as Axel held Roxas' gaze, waiting for his reply with a mild look of concern playing around his usually smirking, somewhat sarcastic expression.

"I guess…it was just…" He paused to think. "…Just the way that everyone seems to be getting mad with us lately."

"You mean Xemnas?"

Roxas nodded, Axel smiled.

"Don't let a guy like him get to you, he doesn't even know what fun _is."_

_He had to smile at that. It was true. In all the time he'd known the organization, he could honestly say that Xemnas' face appeared to be frozen in a permanent scowl._

"_Well, now you're here, and you're wearing my clothes, you may as well stay for tonight."_

"_Won't the others notice?"_

_The redhead rolled his eyes, leaning back on his elbows again._

"_Since when has that stopped us?"_

_He had a point. The blonde made his way to the bed, being careful not to trip over the slightly too long legs of his pants, and climbed in next to Axel, who promptly pulled the covers over them. _

"_Aren't you getting changed?"_

_Roxas observed the red shirt, which now had only two buttons fastened._

"_Nah, I was asleep before you got here…"_

_There was yet another brief silence. Roxas wondered whether the heat from Axel's body was due to a) the fact that he himself had been standing in the freezing rain not so long ago, or b) his ability to manipulate fire. He was still mulling over this thought when he felt Axel's arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer until their faces were mere centimetres apart. They stared at each other, Axel's calm, strong gaze battling with Roxas' wide-eyed surprise._

"_Goodnight Roxas."_

"…_Goodnight, Axel."_

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_Okay, my first attempt is finally up (a two day wait is…like forever to me)._

_Reviews are much appreciated, and I'll try and update when I can!_


	2. II

Such an eventful weekend. *FROWN*

I lost my internet on Friday, so I just sat here thinking of stuff, which of course didn't work because I had writer's block and just ended up playing FFXII.

But anyway, I managed SOMETHING at least~

The usual disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters. But if I did, Axel and Roxas would totally be a couple, and Larxene would get run over by a bus.

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[II]

Roxas wasn't sure how long it had taken him to fall asleep, but at the back of his mind, he was somehow sure that it was long before Axel. Even after he closed his eyes, he could still feel the older male's soft breathing on his skin, and although he wasn't exactly used to being this close to the redhead, he found it strangely comforting to know he was there. Either way, he wasn't sure what woke him, but he knew that it was now far too warm under the covers. It was still dark outside, and the only light was the pale red glow from the clock (which was three hours ahead of the real time; Axel seemed to enjoy the feeling of being woken by the alarm, only to find that he had three hours extra sleep to look forward to).

Adjusting his position slightly, he moved to kick off his covers, which is probably why he was so surprised to find them already gone. Looking up, even in the dim glow he could see the sheets laying in a heap at the bottom of the bed, obliviously thrown off sometime in the night. The next thought to occur was how could he possibly be so warm with no covers? It only took him a few short seconds to realise that most of the heat in the room was being provided by Axel, who was still asleep, and completely unaware of this fact. That thought was quickly overcome by another. He hadn't realised it until now, but after all his moving around and shifting position (sound sleeper was one thing that Roxas was definitely not), he'd somehow ended up with his arms and legs wrapped around the redhead, who again, seemed absolutely unaware of this.

At that realisation, the colour of Roxas' face could have matched the hair of the one he was laying with. He wanted to move, but what if he woke the one he was trying to move away from? What would Axel think if he woke to find the blonde wide awake and practically on top of him? Whatever the result, it couldn't be good, and thinking rationally in situations like this wasn't something he was, or ever would be particularly good at. All of these points put together brought him to the decision that he should perhaps lay there a little longer and try to think normally (if possible). The end result of that thinking wasn't exactly what you would consider a well thought out plan, but in his current position, Roxas deemed that even that would be better than nothing. His plan? To quickly throw himself onto the floor, and tell the now (presumably) awake Axel that he fell out of bed. Genius.

It was hardly surprising, and Roxas admitted that to himself, that the plan was a miserable failure. He hadn't accounted for the fact that Axel, despite his tendencies to pass out in bed at whatever chance he got, was _not_ a particularly deep sleeper. All it had taken to wake him was Roxas' slight movement of the hand when he turned to see how far he would have to launch himself.

"Roxas?"

He froze. In fact, he wished against all hope that the ground would open up and swallow him altogether, and no one, especially Axel, would have the faintest memory of this ever happening.

"What's up?"

His voice was quiet, vaguely sleepy, which led Roxas to briefly wonder whether the redhead had even realised their position. He hoped not, but he could clearly see that Axel's eyes were just as sharp as they would be if he had been wide awake, and they were staring at him expectantly. There was no reply. The blonde's mind was working furiously, trying to piece together a reasonably believable explanation, which of course ended up with him looking completely ridiculous and sporting an an expression that made it look as if he'd just been slapped across the face.

The silence dragged out for a few seconds, or so it seemed to Roxas, forever.

"Nothin'"

The blonde mentally kicked himself. Was that the best he could come up with? _Nothing? Of course something was wrong! Here we was, laying with his arms and legs wrapped around a man, one of his only friends, virtually twice his height and probably twice his age! (Although he knew that Axel was in fact only in his early twenties, but that wasn't the point)._

_Axel smiled "Good, I was worried for a second."_

_Somone may as well have come and slapped Roxas across the face at this point. How could Axel be so laid back about it? While he'd been laying there in complete and utter panic, it was as if the redhead didn't even care. Part of Roxas was incredibly confused as to the reason for Axel's uncaring attitude, but another part of him was somewhat relieved that he hadn't made a big thing out of it._

_There was another long pause. Axel seemed to be already falling asleep again, his eyes narrowed in a soft, slightly spaced-out stare which did little to hide his tiredness, but still made him seem all the more blissfully unaware…or maybe he was aware. Maybe he felt the same way the blonde did, but didn't want to panic over it. Maybe Roxas should get off him now. Yes, a good idea. Even after all the thinking, and the staring, and the awkwardness, Roxas still remained attached firmly to Axel, that hadn't changed. Shifting uncomfortably, he made an attempt to move. As usual, it seemed like nothing wanted to work right, and he'd barely moved an inch when he felt Axel pull him back again._

"_Don't move."_

_His voice was soft, but it still carried that same distinct sound so unique to Axel, that made even the slightest comment seem like a direct command. To say the least, he was confused._

"_Why?"_

"_You're warm."_

_The redhead's answer was so wonderfully simple, so unexpected, that it only added to Roxas' confusion, yet in a strange way, relieved him of some of his worry. He layed where he was and thought for a while, but he wasn't sure how long because his back was facing the clock. All he knew was that Axel had gone to sleep again, he himself was still extremely confused, and one more thing for certain; Xemnas would find out…and he wouldn't be happy._

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_Gah, so much block D:_

_I promise something will happen in the next chapter ;_;_

_Reviews appreciated 3_


	3. III

**Agh, my monitor has an annoying screen flicker now, it gives me headache ;_;.**

**Still have writer's block, which sucks…**

…**but on the other hand, this cereal is just awesome.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters.**

**__________________________________________________________________________________**

**[III]**

**The only greeting that Roxas got that morning was that left quickly scribbled down on a red post-it-note left on the desk in the bedroom. Axel liked post-it-notes. He used them for everything, even the things that he probably didn't even need reminding, or for that matter, care about, as long as there was a wide array of multicoloured (red in particular) notes there for him to write it down on. This certain one read:**

"_**Roxas,**_

_**Had to go out urgently, I locked the door, spare key on desk, help yourself to anything. Not sure how long I'll be.**_

_**Love, Axel."**_

**He re-read the note a couple of times, and wondered why Axel had had to leave so quickly. The note had clearly been written in a hurry; his usual neat, vaguely calligraphic handwriting had turned to more of a rushed scrawl, and deep indents in the paper showed the sheer force he used to write with at some point.**

**He read it once more for the sake of it, before setting it back where it was and heading for the shower. The jet of hot water always helped him think about things, about what happened last night with Axel. He spent so long turning thoughts over and over in his head, that he half expected Axel to already be back by the time he got out, which of course, he wasn't. Maybe Xemnas wanted him for a mission, another attempt to get Sora, or just another traitor to deal with. Either way, it gave Roxas more time to think. He even considered whether Axel could have been drunk last night, and part of him wanted it to be true. It would explain a lot of things. However, another part of him wanted desperately for it to be false. That would mean that everything Axel said last night was what he meant, not some drunken lie. Perhaps he would confront the redhead about it when he got back. **

**He spent most of the day waiting for Axel's return, but it never came, and Roxas was starting to worry. He didn't usually have to worry; he knew he could normally take care of himself, but the situation had changed a considerable amount in the past few weeks. Most of the Organization members had chosen to turn against their 8th**** and 13****th****, wary of their close friendship., and because of this, Roxas had found himself becoming steadily more concerned about Axel, just as Axel had taken more care of him recently. This was the main reason that Roxas went out looking.**

**Axel was never out this long, and even if he was, he always made sure that Roxas knew he was okay. It was now approaching late evening, and he'd not heard let alone seen anything of his friend. He shook his head, trying to dismiss the worries lurking there and focus on looking, but no matter how hard he tried to find a reason for Axel's all-day absence, all he managed to do was deepen his concern. The fact was, he **_**couldn't **_**think of a reason; there wasn't one.**

_**Axel, where are you?…**_

**Nobody wanted to help him; nobody seemed to care. Lexaeus replied with just a shrug and a shake of the head, and Larxene gave one of her usual uptight sneers that always crushed Roxas into the ground.**

**He was running out of places to look. The only places he hadn't checked were the ones that Axel never went to…well, the places that hardly anyone went to, or so he thought. Either way, it couldn't hurt to check, and it was better than standing there worrying himself sick.**

**The buildings had been locked for a long time, or at least as long as Roxas could remember, and from a distance, nothing appeared out of place. He almost turned back, and he would have if he hadn't caught sight of the broken lock on the furthermost building. He hesitated, surveying the shattered metal laying on the ground before lifting what looked to be the main piece. The lock had rusted, and the broken metal was cold and jagged in his hand. That was probably the reason why it could be crushed so effortlessly. Whoever had broken the lock had made no attempt to hide their actions either; the door had been left open, and part of the floor was scorched and blackened.**

"**It's…burnt…"**

**Without realising it, Roxas had crouched down and ran a hand along the floor. It was still warm, and his fingers were blackened with a kind of soot.**

"**Axel…you were here…"**

**He was thinking aloud again, but he didn't care. He was far too worried to care. What had Axel been doing here? And why had the floor been burnt? It wasn't like him to use fire when he wasn't in a fight.**

**He stood up straight again, and took in his surroundings. The walls were white, and vaguely shiny; still modern even years after being locked up and yet the whole place seemed desolate, unwanted. He was aware of his reflection following him in the walls as he walked, the rhythmic tapping of his footsteps echoing as if a thousand people were walking along with him. But he was alone. He wished Axel was there…but of course, if the redhead HAD been there, they certainly wouldn't be in this deserted building in the first place.**

**A quiet voice interrupted his thoughts. No…**_**two **_**voices. They seemed to be coming from room at the end of the corridor. He paused to listen, before moving closer in an attempt to make the conversation more audible.**

"**Well well, even now, you never seem to learn."**

**That voice. It was familiar, but it wasn't Axel. He wanted to look in and see who it belonged to, but stayed where he was for fear of being seen.**

"**You have shown a complete disregard for the rules, and for that, you have been punished…yet you refuse to give in."**

**There was another brief pause, and Roxas held his breath. They, whoever it was, hadn't heard him come in, and he wasn't going to let them hear him now.**

"**I am growing tired of this!" The voice was suddenly a lot louder, a lot closer, and it made Roxas jump.**

**He backed away from the door, taking cover in the room on the opposite side. Here he couldn't be seen, but he could hear clearly what was being said, although he perhaps wished he hadn't heard it at all.**

**There was the sound of metal hitting metal, followed by a short, muffled cry. The sounds mixed together into one, ringing down empty passages and rooms, and causing Roxas to shrink even further away from the door. Who had let out that cry? It was pained, unpleasant.**

"**Xaldin, enough. Let us leave. Perhaps now he will have learnt his lesson."**

**Roxas' fear quickly turned to confusion. Xaldin? What was he doing here? He backed into the shadows as fast, quiet footsteps passed the door. Only one set of footsteps. **

**He listened some more and time seemed to drag on relentlessly. He heard a whisper, quiet but not completely inaudible.**

"_**Next time, Axel, I will not hesitate to kill you. As you know, a flame cannot burn forever; at some point, it will have to be extinguished."**_

_**Roxas' mind went blank. Axel was here. Roxas couldn't feel any more. He wondered whether he was in some kind of shock. It was a few seconds before a second set of footsteps passed the door, slowly this time, deliberately, as if they wanted to keep Roxas like this for as long as possible. From the sound of the voice he had heard, he could only hazard a guess, but he was sure it was correct. Xemnas. He and Xaldin had brought Axel here, he was sure of that, and the scorched marks by the door showed that he hadn't come willingly.**_

_**Roxas was afraid to move. Not because of Xemnas and Xaldin, he knew they had left, but because of what he might find in that room. He stood up slowly, his legs slightly stiff from crouching there, and opened the door again. There was no noise now other than the sound of his own breathing, shaky and unsure. He wasn't sure whether the lack of sound was good or bad, but at the back of his mind, he figured it was bad. He was fairly sure Axel hadn't left, which meant he was still here. He approached the door to the opposite room, touching the cold surface with the tips of his fingers.**_

"…_**Axel?"**_

_**His voice came out much quiter, much more forced than he had aimed for, but it left him completely as he stepped inside. This was something he had hoped he wouldn't see.**_

_**__________________________________________________________________________________**_

_**So….yeah…joy.**_

_**Sorry.**_

_**I'll update whenever I'm not at school or sleeping D:**_

_**Thanks for the reviews so far guys, they're still appreciated! ^^**_


	4. IV

**A/N**: Okay, so here you go, chapter 4~

Sorry it took so long, I got distracted by homework and drawing and crap like that.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. (If I did, you'd all fangirl/boy me, right?)

[IV]

He didn't even need to look up; the polished white floor, now streaked in dark crimson, showed a hazed reflection of the scene he dreaded. One of Axel's weapons lay behind the door. Its grip had become stained with blood as it was forced away from it's owner, and it now lay alone, out of reach. It's twin was missing. Roxas didn't care about any of this; his sight was firmly fixed on the man who appeared to be standing by the far wall, head bowed silently to stare at his own face in the cold marble below.

-

At first glance from the doorway it had looked like he was standing, staring down in a kind of quiet thought, and it wasn't until Roxas got closer that he saw the smooth, blue metal of Xaldin's spears, decorated with ornate patterns and blades carved into dragon heads, now sticking at violent angles from the redhead's body like some piece of horrendous, warped art. Intricate black lines radiated from the three points where the spears had continued their journey part-way through the wall, smashing the blank canvas into a series of distorted cracks. Was this one of the true implications of their actions? No matter how much their superiors had tried to inculcate the fact that any form of inter-organization close relationship was strictly against the rules, he and Axel had carried on with their meetings. Xemnas had clearly stated that anyone who didn't fully adhere to the said rules would be punished, but Axel had dismissed it without a second thought using something along the lines of '_Stupid fun-haters, never gonna get a heart that way._'

-

Axel had been smiling when he said that. Now, however, the usual sarcastic, confident smirk had gone, replaced instead by a stoic if not slightly pained expession, faded green eyes ringed with red and narrowed as he remained suspended by his restraint. Roxas moved towards the older male slowly, unsure as to whether the redhead was even conscious any more. That question was quickly answered as his foot met the silver metal of the weapon he had forgotten about, sending it spinning across the floor and instantly evoking a quick, involuntary and startled yelp (which surprised Roxas; he must have been more on edge than he first thought, and the loud metallic clattering in a previously silent room hadn't made it any better). However, the noise had also evoked the pyromaniac's attention and he slowly raised his head to view the disturbance, probably expecting the return of his tormentors. His eyes were blurred, unfocused and framed by smooth, pale skin, which led Roxas to wonder just how long they had kept him pinned up like this.

-

"Roxas…"

The redhead drew the word out slowly, as if he was trying it out for the first time, before taking another deep breath and returning back to his previous silent position. He sounded tired. It had taken a copious amount of effort just to sound that one word, and he struggled to find the energy to keep himself awake much longer, and so he closed his eyes. He heard the blond's approach, the soft footsteps coming to a rest in front of him

"Why are you here?…"

His words were considerably louder this time, but also came with considerably more effort in doing so. The blonde sounded almost hurt by this question, but he kept his voice steady.

"Axel, I was worried…you…just left…and…and…"

He trailed off, staring sadly at the broken figure in front of him. This was a man he's never seen before. Axel had always been one of the kindest (in his own unique way, of course) among the members, and Roxas couldn't recall any real time in the past that he'd had looked so distressed. He'd learnt to hide well behind a smile, but all of that seemed to be forgotten now. A steady stream of red had travelled along one of the spears, eventually losing it's ability to stay there and instead forming a crimson pool at their feet.

-

"Stupid."

Roxas felt a slender finger under his chin, lifting his head so that his eyes met those of Axel. He'd reached out with his only free hand, the other one pinned back by the weapon that had forced its way through the top of his arm and exited just above his shoulder blades, only to meet the cold, hard wall (which, too, didn't appear to have put up much of a challenge).

"You worry too much."

"Huh? How can you say that?!"

"I'm alive aren't I?"

Roxas was speechless. 'Alive' could only be used, in his opinion, very loosely; Axel looked like he would keel over any second if it wasn't for the spears holding him up. Yet, on the other hand, seeing Axel's faint smile gave him a kind of confidence.

-

"I'm sick of standing here, let's go."

The blonde's eyes widened in surprise.

"Let's…go?"

"Yeah."

He was amazed at Axel's ability to look at any situation in such a simple, unfaltering way, but part of him still wondered whether he was only saying it to try and ease his worry. Either way, he came to the conclusion that, no matter the reason, he wasn't going to be able to move the redhead. Axel may have been putting on a light hearted attitude, but Roxas was in some way afraid that the the older male's now fragile frame might shatter completely if he fell.

"Axel, I can't, the sp-"

His sentence was cut off mid word as a hand fell heavily on his shoulder, practically knocking him over and triggering an almost instant reflex which involved Roxas' elbow connecting sqarely with his attacker's face…or who he thought was his 'attacker'.

-

Rubbing his arm, he turned to see who the hand had belonged to, only to find the spiky-haired Demyx now doubled over on the floor with his head in his hands.

"Oh! Demyx! I…uh…sorry!"

A sheepish expression made its way across his face. He'd just inflicted a considerable amount of pain upon one of the only other members who was nice to him.

Axel's comment of 'Well done.' was drowned out by Demyx's 'Hey, no hard feelings, 'kay?' accompanied by a shaky thumbs up.

"I heard a noise or something, so I came to see what was up."

The brown haired teen managed to take his hands away from his face long enough to look up at the redhead who was still unnaturally held in the same position.

"I…I guess that scream was you then…?"

"I screamed?"

Roxas quickly interrupted what would probably have turned into a full blown debate.

"Nevermind that! Axel, we have to get you out of here! Demyx, give me a hand now you're here!"

His confidece, however, was short-lived as he took another quick observation of the scene; the three spears, the readhead being held up by them, and the now steady pattern of of blood forming around him. Axel wore a pallid look, to say the least, only now his free hand gripped the weapon holding his shoulder to the wall. Roxas realised what he was going to do within seconds of him actually doing it, but the sharp, pained cry that the action resulted in still shook him.

-

Axel's gaze had returned to the floor, his breathing quick and drawn as the first spear hit the floor beside him with a loud metallic crash, resonating through the room for a few seconds before silencing.

"Whoa, Axel, take it easy."

It was Demyx who spoke again, stepping carefully past crimson trails and blue metal to the shivering figure in front of him. The effects of the blood loss had only just started to make a real appearance; he'd started shaking almost uncontrollably, only slightly at first, and what worried Roxas even more was the fact that his skin was now perfectly cold. Absolutely none of his previous warmth remained, the warmth that Roxas had become so used to in all his time knowing Axel. And worse still; two spears still remained, one through the right side of his chest, and the other through the opposite shoulder, but the readhead seemed determined to deal with this problem himself. He took in a long breath and a small hesitation, before reaching a bloodied hand to the next spear. He'd chosen the one through his other shoulder, the only reason being that the one through his chest would still hold him up even if he fell unconscious. This time, Demyx helped, taking a firm hold (firmer than Axel's anyway) on the spear's grip.

"Three…two…-"

He didn't say one, instead tearing the spear straight out in one quick movement yet still drawing another horrifying scream from Axel that made the blonde wince. Demyx set the weapon down, quietly this time.

"Just one more, okay?"

Roxas wasn't sure whether those words were actually going to offer any comfort to the redhead, but it made the prospect of pulling the last one out slightly more bearable.

"Just…get it over with already."

-

The last one wasn't any easier to pull out than the previous two had been, except for the fact that it was met with a worrying silence instead of another choked cry. That last spear had been Axel's only means of support, and it took both Roxas' and Demyx's help to even keep him standing.

"Back to his, Rox?"

Roxas exchanged a concerned glance with Demyx. _Easier said than done._ They knew damn well that nobody else would bother to help them, it was comparable to 'kill or be killed,' or 'every man (or woman. Roxas remembered that only two of the Organization's members were women) for himself'. They'd have to take the redhead back and try and fix him up as best as they could, despite their lack of experience in that area.

-

By the time they got back, Axel had been drifting in and out of consciousness for some time, and Demyx had ended up having to almost carry him (for Roxas was much too short for such a task) up to the room they had shared. However, that didn't stop Axel giving a quick thanks and ordering a rather dejected Demyx to 'leave now, I got stuff to do."

Roxas wondered what 'that 'stuff' might be, and some part of him dreaded to think of the possibilities, but he thought better of it than to ask and spent the next half an hour carefully bandaging a majority of the wounds (much to Axel's apparent amusement at the prospect of having the blonde take his shirt off).

-

"All done…"

The redhead gave him an appreciative smile, despite the fact that the pain was still somewhat etched on his face. Roxas had always looked up to Axel, always seen him as the one who would protect those close to him; never in such a vulnerable state as he was in now, and it made him feel strange knowing that it would be the other way around for a while.

"Axel…you're cold."

The redhead was still shivering, and Roxas wasn't sure whether it was because of the loss of blood, or because his usually extremely warm body heat had now completely vanished. He also didn't know why he did what he did next; a kind of spur of the moment, but the next thing he knew was that his arms had found their way around the older male's body, in a kind of light hug. Axel seemed equally surprised, his smile fading into a confused half-frown.

"Roxas?"

"I'm keeping you warm."

There was a long silence, in which Axel stared at the blonde, and he stared back, not once loosening his grip but all the while making sure he didn't hurt his friend. Axel hid his feelings well, and Roxas struggled to tell what he was thinking. He wore a blank yet vaguely thoughtful look, and the blonde couldn't tell if that was a good or a bad result…although…he wasn't actually sure what kind of result he was aiming for in the first place, which just made him confused.

-

If Roxas hadn't known what result he was aiming for in the first place, it didn't make sense that he was so surprised at what he ended up doing. He was still holding onto Axel when he felt a rough pull on his arm, and by the time he'd looked down, their faces were in an even closer proximity than they had been the previous night. Axel had laid down, pulling Roxas along with him into a position that would have been extremely awkward under normal circumstances. He felt his face burn slightly, and he knew that he was probably the deepest shade of red in existence at the time, but he didn't move, instead just returning the stare. He _wanted to be there. He wanted Axel. That's what he was thinking when their lips met in a brief, few-seconds kiss. For the slightest moment, he was disappointed that it didn't last longer, that he couldn't have stayed like that forever, but his disappointment was quickly put to sleep as it happened again, only this time it lasted. He felt Axel's cool fingers trace light, delicate lines down his back, coming to rest on the waistband of his jeans._

"_Roxas."_

_The redhead had pulled away, and was now staring up at him._

"_Yeah?"_

"_I hope that door's locked."_

____________________________________________________________________________________

_So, yes. It's 04:17am, and I am absolutely BUGGERED. I need sleep, and a sandwich._

_I apologise if half of this doesn't make sense, I'm not designed to be up at this time._

_I'll try and update sometime soon., reviews are appreciated!_

_3_


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